Boris Johnson's premiership is hanging by a thread as more Conservative MPs with ministerial positions quit and others express their lack of confidence in his leadership.
Former universities minister Chris Skidmore wrote an open letter to Sir Graham Brady this morning describing Mr Johnson's handling of the Chris Pincher scandal as a "cover up of sexual abuse".
Mr Skidmore told the 1922 Committee chairman in his letter that if it had been known that the PM promoted Mr Pincher to deputy chief whip despite knowing about concerns of his behaviour, he would not have survived last month's confidence vote.
"This is an extremely grave situation, that is tantamount to an effective cover up of sexual abuse that would never be tolerated in any normal, functioning, workplace."
Tom Hunt, a Tory from the 2019 intake has said he no longer holds confidence in the PM, despite backing him in the last vote of no confidence.
The MP for Ipswich who was seen as supportive of the PM said in a Facebook post: "Events of the past week have been the straw that has broken the camel's back.
"I personally find it hard to believe that the prime minister wasn't aware of the extent of concerns about the former deputy chief whip."
Since the PM attempted to make a humble apology over his handling of the Pincher scandal, six ministers, one vice chairman of the party, six parliament private secretaries and and two trade envoys have resigned from their positions.
Will Quince was one of the ministers sent on the airwaves to defend Mr Johnson’s position over Chris Pincher, who quit as deputy chief whip after allegedly assaulting two men while drunk at London’s Carlton Club.
Today Mr Quince quit as children and families minister, saying he could not accept being sent out to defend the PM on television with inaccurate information over the Chris Pincher row.
Victoria Atkins announced her resignation on Instagram. In a letter, she said: "The events of this week, however, have made these contortions impossible.
"The casual mistreatment of Minister Will Quince and the revelations contained in Lord McDonald's letter highlight just how far your government has fallen from these ideals.
"I can no longer pirouette around our fractured values. We can and must be better than this."
The loss of crunch by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton later that month triggered the resignation of party chairman Oliver Dowden, while there is still lingering anger over coronavirus lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street.
The Prime Minister’s fate may ultimately lie with backbench MPs if the Tory 1922 Committee’s rules are changed to allow another confidence vote within 12 months.
